List of accelerators in particle physics


A list of particle accelerators used for particle physics experiments. Some early particle accelerators that more properly did nuclear physics, but existed prior to the separation of particle physics from that field, are also included. Although a modern accelerator complex usually has several stages of accelerators, only accelerators whose output has been used directly for experiments are listed.

Early accelerators

These all used single beams with fixed targets. They tended to have very briefly run, inexpensive, and unnamed experiments.

Cyclotrons

AcceleratorLocationYears of
operation		ShapeAccelerated ParticleKinetic
Energy		Notes and discoveries made
9-inch cyclotronUniversity of California, Berkeley1931CircularH1.0 MeVProof of concept
11-inch cyclotronUniversity of California, Berkeley1932CircularProton1.2 MeV
27-inch cyclotronUniversity of California, Berkeley1932–1936CircularDeuteron4.8 MeVInvestigated deuteron-nucleus interactions
37-inch cyclotronUniversity of California, Berkeley1937–1938CircularDeuteron8 MeVDiscovered many isotopes
60-inch cyclotronUniversity of California, Berkeley1939-1962CircularDeuteron16 MeVDiscovered many isotopes.
88-inch cyclotronBerkeley Rad Lab, now Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1961–PresentCircular Hydrogen through uraniumMeV to several GeVDiscovered many isotopes. Verified two element discoveries. Performed the world's first single event effects radiation testing in 1979, and tested parts and materials for most US spacecraft since then.
184-inch cyclotronBerkeley Rad Lab1942-1993CircularVariousMeV to GeVResearch on uranium isotope separation
CalutronsY-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, TN1943-"Horseshoe"Uranium nucleiUsed to separate Uranium 235 isotope for the Manhattan project. After the end of World War II used for separation of medical and other isotopes.
95-inch cyclotronHarvard Cyclotron Laboratory1949–2002CircularProton160 MeVUsed for nuclear physics 1949 - ~ 1961, development of clinical proton therapy until 2002
JULICForschungszentrum Juelich, Germany1967–presentCircularProton, deuteron75 MeVNow used as a preaccelerator for COSY and irradiation purposes

The magnetic pole pieces and return yoke from the 60-inch cyclotron were later moved to UC Davis and incorporated into a 76-inch isochronous cyclotron which is still in use today

Other early accelerator types

AcceleratorLocationYears of
operation		Shape
and size		Accelerated
particle		Kinetic
Energy		Notes and discoveries made
Linear particle acceleratorAachen University, Germany1928Linear BeamlineIon50 keVProof of concept
Cockcroft and Walton's
electrostatic accelerator		Cavendish Laboratory1932See Cockroft-
Walton generator		Proton0.7 MeVFirst to artificially split the nucleus
BetatronSiemens-Schuckertwerke, Germany1935CircularElectron1.8 MeVProof of concept

Synchrotrons

AcceleratorLocationYears of
operation		Shape and sizeAccelerated
particle		Kinetic EnergyNotes and discoveries madeINSPIRE link
CosmotronBNL1953–1968Circular ring
Proton3.3 GeVDiscovery of V particles, first artificial production of some mesons
Birmingham SynchrotronUniversity of Birmingham1953–1967Proton1 GeV
BevatronBerkeley Rad Lab1954-~1970"Race track"Proton6.2 GeVStrange particle experiments, antiproton and antineutron discovered, resonances discovered
Bevalac, combination of SuperHILAC linear accelerator, a diverting tube, then the BevatronBerkeley Rad Lab~1970-1993Linear accelerator followed by "race track"Any and all sufficiently stable nuclei could be acceleratedObservation of compressed nuclear matter. Depositing ions in tumors in cancer research.
SaturneSaclay, France3 GeV
SynchrophasotronDubna, RussiaDecember 1957 – 200310 GeV
Zero Gradient SynchrotronANL1963–197912.5 GeV
U-70 Proton SynchrotronIHEP, Russia1967–presentCircular ring
Proton70 GeV
Proton SynchrotronCERN1959–presentCircular ring
Proton26 GeVUsed to feed ISR, SPS, LHC, AD
Proton Synchrotron BoosterCERN1972–presentCircular SynchrotronProtons1.4 GeVUsed to feed PS, ISOLDE
Super Proton SynchrotronCERN1976–presentCircular SynchrotronProtons and ions450 GeVCOMPASS, OPERA and ICARUS at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso
Alternating Gradient SynchrotronBNL1960-presentCircular ring
Proton, deuteron, helium-3, copper, gold, uranium33 GeVJ/ψ, muon neutrino, CP violation in kaons, injects heavy ions and polarized protons into RHIC
Proton Synchrotron KEK1976–2007Circular ringProton12 GeV
Juelich, Germany1993–presentCircular ring Protons, Deuterons2.88 GeV

Fixed-target accelerators

More modern accelerators that were also run in fixed target mode; often, they will also have been run as colliders, or accelerated particles for use in subsequently built colliders.

High intensity hadron accelerators (Meson and neutron sources)

AcceleratorLocationYears of
operation		Shape and sizeAccelerated ParticleKinetic EnergyNotes and discoveries madeINSPIRE link
High Current Proton Accelerator Los Alamos Neutron Science Center Los Alamos National Laboratory1972–PresentLinear
and
Circular 		Protons800 MeVNeutron materials research, proton radiography, high energy neutron research, ultra cold neutrons
PSI, HIPA High Intensity 590 MeV Proton AcceleratorPSI, Villigen, Switzerland1974–present0.8 MeV CW, 72 MeV Injector 2,
590 MeV Ringcyclotron		Protons590 MeV, 2.4 mA, =1.4 MWHighest beam power, used for meson and neutron production with applications in materials science
TRIUMF CyclotronTRIUMF, Vancouver BC1974–presentCircularH- ion500 MeVWorld's largest cyclotron, at 17.9m
ISIS neutron sourceRutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton,
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom		1984–presentH- Linac followed by proton RCSProtons800 MeV
Spallation Neutron SourceOak Ridge National Laboratory2006–PresentLinear
and
Circular 		Protons800 MeV -
1 GeV		Produces the most intense pulsed neutron beams in the world for scientific research and industrial development.
J-PARC RCSTōkai, Ibaraki2007–PresentTriangular, 348m circumferenceProtons3 GeVUsed for material and life sciences and input to J-PARC main ring

Electron and low intensity hadron accelerators

Colliders

Electron–positron colliders

AcceleratorLocationYears of
operation		Shape
and circumference		Electron
energy		Positron
energy		ExperimentsNotable DiscoveriesINSPIRE link
AdALNF, Frascati, Italy; Orsay, France1961–1964Circular, 3 meters250 MeV250 MeVTouschek effect ; first e+e− interactions recorded
Princeton-Stanford Stanford, California1962–1967Two-ring, 12 m300 MeV300 MeVe−e− interactions
VEP-1 INP, Novosibirsk, Soviet Union1964–1968Two-ring, 2.70 m130 MeV130 MeVe−e− scattering; QED radiative effects confirmed
VEPP-2INP, Novosibirsk, Soviet Union1965–1974Circular, 11.5 m700 MeV700 MeVOLYA, multihadron production, e+e−→φ , e+e−→γγ
ACO:fr:Laboratoire de l'accélérateur linéaire|LAL, Orsay, France1965–1975Circular, 22 m550 MeV550 MeVρ0, K+K−,φ3C, μ+μ−, M2N and DM1Vector meson studies; then ACO was used as synchrotron light source until 1988
SPEARSLAC1972-1990Circular3 GeV3 GeVMark I, Mark II, Mark IIIDiscovery of Charmonium states
BINP, Novosibirsk1974–2000Circular, 17.88 m700 MeV700 MeVND, SND, e+e− cross sections, radiative decays of ρ, ω, and φ mesons
DORISDESY1974–1993Circular, 300m5 GeV5 GeVARGUS, Crystal Ball, DASP, PLUTOOscillation in neutral B mesons
PETRADESY1978–1986Circular, 2 km20 GeV20 GeVJADE, MARK-J, CELLO, PLUTO, TASSODiscovery of the gluon in three jet events
CESRCornell University1979–2002Circular, 768m6 GeV6 GeVCUSB, CHESS, CLEO, CLEO-2, CLEO-2.5, CLEO-3First observation of B decay, charmless and "radiative penguin" B decays
PEPSLAC1980-1990Mark II
SLCSLAC1988-1998Addition to
SLAC Linac		45 GeV45 GeVSLD, Mark IIFirst linear collider
LEPCERN1989–2000Circular, 27 km104 GeV104 GeVAleph, Delphi, Opal, L3Only 3 light weakly interacting neutrinos exist, implying only three generations of quarks and leptons
BEPCChina1989–2004Circular, 240m2.2 GeV2.2 GeV
BINP, Novosibirsk1994-Circular, 366m6.0 GeV6.0 GeVPrecise measurement of psi-meson masses, two-photon physics
PEP-IISLAC1998–2008Circular, 2.2 km9 GeV3.1 GeVBaBarDiscovery of CP violation in B meson system
KEKBKEK1999–2009Circular, 3 km8.0 GeV3.5 GeVBelleDiscovery of CP violation in B meson system
DAΦNELNF, Frascati, Italy1999-presentCircular, 98m0.7 GeV0.7 GeVKLOECrab-waist collisions
CESR-cCornell University2002–2008Circular, 768m6 GeV6 GeVCHESS, CLEO-c
VEPP-2000BINP, Novosibirsk2006-Circular, 24.4m1.0 GeV1.0 GeVSND, Round beams
BEPC IIChina2008-Circular, 240m1.89 GeV1.89 GeVBeijing Spectrometer III
VEPP-5BINP, Novosibirsk2015-
ADONELNF, Frascati, Italy1969-1993Circular, 105m1.5 GeV1.5 GeV
TRISTANKEK1987-1995Circular, 3016m30 GeV30 GeV
SuperKEKBKEK2016-Circular, 3 km7.0 GeV4.0 GeVBelle II

Hadron colliders

AcceleratorLocationYears of
operation		Shape
and size		Particles
collided		Beam
energy		ExperimentsINSPIRE
Intersecting
Storage Rings		CERN1971–1984Circular rings
Proton/
Proton		31.5 GeV
Super
Proton Synchrotron/SpS		CERN1981–1984Circular ring
Proton/
Antiproton		270-315 GeVUA1, UA2
Tevatron
Run I		Fermilab1992–1995Circular ring
Proton/
Antiproton		900 GeVCDF, D0
Tevatron
Run II		Fermilab2001–2011Circular ring
Proton/
Antiproton		980 GeVCDF, D0
Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
polarized proton mode		Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York2001–presentHexagonal rings
Polarized Proton/
Proton		100-255 GeVPHENIX, STAR
Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
ion mode		Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York2000–presentHexagonal rings
d-79+;
29+-29+;
29+-79+;
79+-79+;
92+-92+		3.85-100 GeV
per nucleon		STAR, PHENIX, BRAHMS, PHOBOS
Large Hadron Collider
proton mode		CERN2008–presentCircular rings
Proton/
Proton		6.5 TeV
ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, LHCf, TOTEM
Large Hadron Collider
ion mode		CERN2010–presentCircular rings
82+-82+;
Proton-82+		2.76 TeV
per nucleon		ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, LHCb

Electron-proton colliders

AcceleratorLocationYears of
operation		Shape
and size		Electron
energy		Proton
energy		ExperimentsINSPIRE link
HERADESY1992–2007Circular ring
27.5 GeV920 GeVH1, ZEUS, HERMES experiment, HERA-B

Light sources

Hypothetical accelerators

Besides the real accelerators listed above, there are hypothetical accelerators often used
as hypothetical examples or optimistic projects by particle physicists.